<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Vonnegut by Hale13</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27206101">Vonnegut</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hale13/pseuds/Hale13'>Hale13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whump Bingo 2020 [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bathing/Washing, Blood, Blood and Gore, Gen, Gun Violence, Irondad, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Has Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Whump, Whump Bingo, Whumptober</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:22:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27206101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hale13/pseuds/Hale13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter had dealt with a lot of trauma in his life up to and including watching his uncle bleed out and die in front of him.  He had seen some terrible things on the street as Spider-Man.  He thought he could handle it.</p>
<p>He was sure he could handle it.</p>
<p>(For Bingo space O4 – Voice hitching as they speak.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whump Bingo 2020 [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943986</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>149</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Vonnegut</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Holy cow only one more to go.</p>
<p>This one is a little weird and much longer than I wanted it to be.  Oh well.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Most of Peter’s patrols went fairly well these days.  He had a steep learning curve those first few weeks and had a permanent black eye from running face first into buildings and fire escapes and billboards for about a month but he finally got the swinging down.  His first few ‘hero moments’ had mainly involved getting a cat out of a tree in the park, stopping a purse snatcher and helping a lot kid find his dad.  Peter came home most days full of energy and high from excitement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then he started patrolling later and things changed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>New York wasn’t really the safest place to live.  Peter had been brought up to not wander back alleys or deserted streets at night and had been gifted pepper spray by aunt May when he started walking to and from school by himself.  Peter was smart though, he knew that he wasn’t particularly strong, that his asthma and thin frame made him an easy target.  So Peter didn’t go out too late at night, he didn’t carry anything to valuable on him, he always had his pepper spray.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But Peter was Spider-Man now.  He didn’t mind walking around at night or in sparsely populated areas or in back allies.  His pepper spray stayed in his bag.  So Peter went into every altercation with that bravado.  He stopped muggers and drunk vagrants and walked people home from work.  Things were going great.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But Peter knew New York.  He knew Queens.  He grew up here, he lived here his whole life.  He should have known better.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was a Saturday evening when Peter stopped his first sexual assault.  It took everything in him not to panic and run away, not to fall into a flashback.  He punched the guy unconscious and felt a viscous thrill when his head bounced off the pavement and the man immediately passed out.  The ESU student he saved was having a panic attack and Peter was able to use methods from his own therapy to help calm her down.  They didn’t want to be touched, but they were much more relaxed with Peter sat in front of them, blocking their view of the predator until the police came to collect them.  Peter encouraged them to accept the ride from the police and go directly to the hospital to get checked out and then swung off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He had his own panic attack curled up in an active construction zone behind a tarp.  It took over an hour before he felt steady enough to swing home and he was ground for missing his curfew.  It was worth it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, no longer disillusioned, Peter started patrolling later and later when May wasn’t home and he saw worse and worse things.  Some of it he grew a little accustomed to over time: breaking up violent robberies, stopping junkies from overdosing and delivering them to the nearest emergency room, stepping in on drunk and disorderly crimes.  Some of it he knew would haunt him forever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter had been Spider-Man for about four months when he ran into his first really violent crime.  It was just barely dark and it had been a pretty slow night overall and Peter was doing one last leisurely lap around the ten block area he had chosen to patrol that day when he heard the gunshot.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The scene Peter had dropped in on was horrific.  The shooter was long gone but the victim was slumped against the brick wall of the apartment building and holding a lose grip over the bullet hold in their chest.  Peter had sent an alert to emergency services and dropped down next to the man to try and stop the bleeding.  He had grunted and cried and tried to push Peter’s hands away with weak and clumsy fingers.  Peter’s own shaking hands just clamped on tighter and he whispered platitudes until the medics arrived and took over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter washed his hands for over thirty minutes that night but they still looked crimson when he finally went to bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now Peter wouldn’t say he’d gone numb to all the violence, but he was definitely more used to it these days.  He dealt with stabbings and gunshot wounds monthly now and he was more equipped than ever thanks to the suit Mr. Stark had given him and Karen.  He had been able to save everyone and had always had Karen keep checks on how people recovered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Things were going pretty well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What you got for me K?” Peter asked as he landed on a nearby building and plopped down on the edge with his street dogs, pulling up his mask just enough to tear into it hungrily.  Peter had heard a lot of whispers about a possible gang war that could be happening in the next few days and Karen had been trying to keep track of the movements of the local gangs for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No new updates Peter,” Karen had chirped brightly.  “The latest intelligence suggests that a turf war could take place anywhere within the next week if an agreement is not reached by the bosses soon.  Recent social media posts show and overall unease around all lower level men.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter hummed and licked a stray blob of mustard off the corner of his mouth.  “Most likely location for the turf war?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Most likely location is probably one of the warehouses in the warehouse district.  Both bosses own buildings in the area.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter groaned, shoving the last of the hot dog in his mouth and garbling the sound.  “Why’s it always warehouse?” He asked, spitting a chunk of bread over the side of the building as he tried too chew and talk at the same time.  “Are these guys just trying to be predictable at this point?  Can’t anyone be creative anymore K?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re very funny Peter,” Karen said indulgently, mapping the fastest route to the warehouse district and throwing up a reminder to change his web fluid canister sooner rather than later since it was low.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks Karen,” Peter said distractedly as he ejected the used up web canister and replaced it with a fresh one.  “How long until curfew?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You have two hours and fifty two minutes until your curfew,” Karen reported, adding a small timer to the upper left corner of his HUD.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well let’s do a could quick run throughs of the area and map it out tonight before we have to get home.  Make sure scanners are ready.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Scanners ready,” Karen’s cool voice reported.  Peter rolled his mask back down and stretched out his tight muscles before jumping on the balls of his feet to warm back up.  With a deep breath he stepped over the edge of the building and free-fell for a moment before shooting out a web to catch himself and starting to leisurely follow Karen’s set course.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took about five minutes to reach the warehouse district and Peter was still humming along to his patrolling playlist when he landed on one of the stacks of shipping containers in the area and activated Karen’s scanners.  “I’m just going to swing around the perimeter a bit Karen, let me know if you see anything.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Will do Peter,” Karen responded, removing all of the extraneous information from his HUD so that he could focus on just swinging and observing.  Peter finished his first loop and landed back on the shipping container, dropping down into a comfortable crouch to go over the data Karen had gathered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s this building here?” Peter asked, highlighting a low brick building near the center of the compound.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s a slaughterhouse owned by one of the bosses,” Karen reported.  “Payroll information shows that they unexpectedly closed two days ago and employees were sent home with no pay for the company to fix a reported machine malfunction.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay,” Peter mused, scratching at his chin.  “Seems to be a lot of activity for a closed business doesn’t it?  Any chance those trucks in the area belong to contractors there to fix the broken machinery?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Unlikely Peter,” Karen said sympathetically causing Peter to let out a deep sigh.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah I didn’t think so,” Peter muttered with a grimace.  “Let’s do another loop Karen and use the thermal scanner.  See if you can find me somewhere safe to perch that will give me a view inside.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay Peter.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter took it a little slower this time, making larger arcs with his webs and trying to get as close as possible so Karen could scan the building better.  “Optimal perch spotted – highlighting now.” Peter changed course at Karen’s direction, landing on a balcony like area about a hundred feet from his target building.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Enhanced reconnaissance mode,” Peter whispered to Karen and the view on his HUD switched over to show him what was going on in the building.  “Shit,” Peter cursed under his breath as he took in the scene; there had to be easily thirty plus people in the building, all with weapons highlighted by Karen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Vehicles approaching from the north,” Karen reported, linking Peter’s HUD to some of the cameras he had left around the complex.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Double shit,” Peter groaned.  “Karen, go ahead and alert the police and SWAT – we’re going to need back up.  Tell them I’ll try to hold it off as long as possible, but that sooner would be better.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Calling now,” Karen reported.  “Would you like me to contact Mr. Stark?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Negative,” Peter said.  “I’ll call him if get in over our heads.” Karen was silent with judgement or at least Peter assumed so.  She had defined ideas on when he should call for back up and, most the time, his ideas didn’t coincide with hers.  “Get me closer and find me entry,” Peter said.  With Karen’s help, he was able to expertly dodge the few lookouts and land on the roof of the building.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The ventilation system would give you the best vantage point,” Karen told him, showing him an overlay of the system snaking its way through the building.  Peter wordlessly entered to air duct sticking out of the top of the building and worked his way through until he was able to drop soundlessly into the rafters.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fuck,” Peter muttered, it was worse than he thought.  There was a plethora of black market handguns and munitions littered through the main floor of the building, interspersed with half butchered carcasses and rivulets of clotted blood.  Peter nearly gagged on the smell and sight alone.  “ETA on the police.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ten minutes out,” Karen reported, throwing the timer up on his HUD.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We don’t have that long,” Peter said with dread as the corrugated metal doors opened and the sound of weapons cocking filled the room.  A well dressed man stood in the middle of the motley group, his weapon still tucked into his breast holster and his hands loose in his pockets.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Where’s Ramone?” He called out as another armed group made there way into the building, stopping about ten feet from him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ramone sends his condolences,” one of the men sneered, cocking his own gun and raising it to point at the well-dressed man.  “He has chosen not to accept your deal.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s unfortunate,” Suit guy said tutting, still relaxed but twitching his hand toward his own weapon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter decided he had seen enough and immediately fired a web to pull the gun out of suit guy’s hand.  “Yoink,” he said, dropping to hang upside down, “I’ll take that.  How’s it going fellas?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s the Spider-Guy!” One of the thugs shouted, turning his weapon to point at Peter who cheekily waved back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t believe you decided too throw a party and didn’t invite me!” Peter said, faux offended and still dangling upside down.  “Well, I’m okay with gate crashing I suppose.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Kill him!” Suit guy shouted.  “One hundred thousand to whoever brings me Spider-Man’s head!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Harsh dude,” Peter called, swinging into a dark corner.  “And here I thought we were friends?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once the first shot rang out, Peter fell into a comfortable pattern of ducking and dodging, webbing up weapons and men alike.  With everyone focused on him, they at least weren’t shooting at each other and there was less of a chance that anyone would get injured.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In fact, Peter had webbed up most everyone and was feeling pretty good until he slipped on something that squelched on the floor and lost his balance.  Multiple shots fired off and Peter did his best to dodge, landing in a waste bin full of viscera and gagging down the bile that rose in this throat.  He pulled himself back up and engaged in a quick bout of hand to hand with two guys who’s weapons had been webbed up.  Peter successfully subdued one of them and, as he turned to face the other, his Spidey sense went off and he dodged.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The man in front of his wasn’t so lucky as he was shit twice, once in the head and once in the chest, spraying blood and grey matter all over Peter and falling into him.  Peter staggered under the weight of the still warm body and felt the blood start to seep through his suit too touch his skin.  He dropped the body where it hit the floor with a sickening ‘thump’ and jumped back into the rafters.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He hid in a corner, trying to catch his breath and focus on not having a panic attack when he heard the sirens approaching.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Five-o!” Someone below shouted and the remaining men scattered like roaches.  Peter made no move to follow them, he knew the police would have the area surrounded and that no one should be able to escape.  A large blood clot fell off of Peter’s arm and he abruptly decided that, yeah, he was done and swiftly exited the building.  He was only able to swing to the edge of the complex before he collapsed, limbs shaking and breath hitching.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“K-Karen,” Peter said, voice hitching on the edge of a sob as he tucked himself into a ball and squeezed his eyes closed.  “C-call Mr. Stark.  Please.  P-please ask him.. a-ask him,” Peter hiccuped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve alerted Mr. Stark,” Karen said carefully.  “ETA just under five minutes.  Please match your breathing to my counts Peter.” And she began to instruct him in his four-seven-eight breathing pattern.  Peter tried to follow her but he could still feel the cooling blood covering him and leaking through his suit and shivered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh kiddo,” Tony’s voice echoed from the Iron Man armor as he landed on the roof and flipped up his face-plate.  “Are you okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I-I,” Peter tried, voice caught in his throat as he vigorously shook his head.  “N-not mine.  It’s n-not m-mine.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know buddy,” Tony said approaching him slowly.  “Can I take you back to the tower?  Get you cleaned up a little?” Peter just let out a sob in answer and let Tony pick him up bridal style, body still trembling as he forcibly stuck himself to Tony.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The ride to the tower passed quickly and Peter would suspect later that Tony pushed the armor faster than usual but he also didn’t remember the majority of the flight and assumed that he had dissociated some.  They landed on the balcony and Tony carried Peter straight through the living area, through the master bedroom and into Tony’s bathroom where he finally let Peter down and allowed his nanotechnology armor to retreat into its casing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Get it off,” Peter said, voice firm as he clawed at his mask and dropped it on the floor with a sick sounding ‘plop’ once he was able to remove it.  He fumbled with the hidden button that would release the suit, but Tony grabbed his wrists.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I got it Webs,” He saiid, hands steady as he released the suit.  “”I got you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter nodded shakily and let Tony thread his useless, shaking limbs out of the suit, pulling it past his hips too pool on the floor and leave Peter shivering in just his boxers.  He looked down and gagged, leaning over the sink too vomit out a string of bile, his hands crusted with drying blood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Let it out Underoos,” Tony said, rubbing up and down Peter’s back, the room filling with steam from the shower that FRIDAY had started at some point.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Get it off,” Peter moaned, a tear leaking from his eye as he curled over the sink and retched again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay kiddo,” Tony said, directing Peter to stumble into the shower, still in his boxers.  Peter grabbed the exfoliating brush and started aggressively scrubbing his chest.  “Whoa there bud,” Tony said, retching out to pull the brush from his frozen fingers.  “Sit down, let me help okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter all but collapsed as his knees gave out, relying on Tony to guide him to the heated tile floor of the shower.  “I’ve got you Pete, just breath for me.” Peter nodded shakily and let Tony pull his right arm away from where he had tucked it around his knees, squirting a thick, clean smelling soap onto a black washcloth.  Peter lost time as he allowed Tony to carefully cleaned the blood away, the water flowing red down the drain.  He murmured softy to Peter as he directed him around, shifting him forward to wash his back and then gently massaging fingers through Peter’s tangled curls.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter, though hardly relaxed, had nearly drifted off by the time Tony cut off the water and wrapped him in a warmed towel from the rack.  Peter allowed Tony to help him over the lip of the shower to sit on the closed toilet, shivering as Tony first towel dried his hair and then dried it with a hair dryer he pulled out from under the counter.  Peter tilted forward to rest his forehead on his mentor’s sternum, one hand sneaking out to grip loosely onto his shirt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“C’mon Petey,” Tony said, helping Peter stand and directing him into the master bedroom where he handed Peter a bundle of clothes before turning around to give Peter privacy.  It took longer than usual since his hands were still shaking lightly, but Peter was able to pull on the worn pair of sweats and MIT shirt that had been handed to him.  “You’re going to be just fine alright bambino?” Tony said as he tucked Peter into the king sized bed, perching next to him and letting Peter bury his face into his stomach, hand rubbing up and down his spine.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He just -,” Peter tried to get out, voice hoarse.  “They just shot him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tony gripped him tighter, letting Peter crawl up to rest his head over Tony’s heart to listen to the calming beat.  “I know Pete.  Karen showed me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Peter let out a sob, eyes wet but face still dry.  “Will it always be like this?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mr. Stark let out a careworn sigh, rubbing comforting circles on Peter’s back.  “You get numb to some of the violence eventually,” Tony finally answered, voice tired and gentle.  “But I have never gotten used to this.  I think if I did or if you did we would have bigger things to worry about.” Peter nodded, heart sinking.  “Don’t think about that right now though, Pete, okay?  Think of everyone you did save.  If you hadn’t been there…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know,” Peter responded, still miserable, eyes drifting closed as his energy rapidly faded.  “I should have called you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s alright,” the hand rubbing his back gentled further and Peter went boneless against Tony’s chest.  “I’ll always come if you call.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I can’t believe I only have one more prompt left!   Holy shit.  I never actually expected to, first of all, write this many fics and, second of all, actually have people enjoy them.  Like, hello?  What is this???</p>
<p>I do plan to expand/re-write/continue some of these in the future so, if one of them really strikes your fancy and you’d like to see more from it, just let me know!  Fic with the most requests gets written first I suppose :D</p>
<p>I don’t have a tumblr but join me over on Twitter @Hale1310 - I just set it up and I’m looking for some prompts to combine with these bingo prompts and for separate stories!</p>
<p>I hope you enjoyed!</p>
<p>See you in the next few days with the final upload!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>